California Diving News - Gear Review: TUSA SCA-312 Platina Console with IQ-600 Computer

TUSA SCA-312 Platina Console with IQ-600 Computer
Out of the box simplicity—that’s how I like dive computers. Put ‘em on, read a few lines in the manual and go diving. That’s the way they should be. Never complicated. The TUSA IQ-600 computer is just that, but also holds inside sophistication for the diver to grow into deeper diving, nitrox, or both.

The IQ-600 is an excellent computer for the beginning diver. Right out of the box it is ready to dive, activated on contact with water. On surfacing, it automatically goes into surface mode, calculating surface interval and your residual nitrogen. Planning your next dive is just the push of one of only two buttons. Basic functions are much the same as any dive computer, but I very much enjoy the simplicity with which they are activated and accessed. Pushing the same button to activate the “Plan” mode also scrolls you through each depth and no decompression time available.

There are a total of 8 modes, all easy to access, some you may never use. Pushing the “B” button accesses the “Log” mode in which you can scroll through the last 10 dives made. Furthermore, and I really enjoyed this, you can scroll through each dive on a minute by minute basis in the “Profile” mode. The computer records the date and time of each dive as well as temperature, your ascent rate (if you exceeded its preset parameters), altitude category and more.

Altitude category is set automatically with the IQ-600 and it compensates nitrogen uptake and off-gassing for diving at altitude. This is a handy feature, you don’t even have to think about if you do this kind of diving.

And this computer is fully nitrox programmable. While I think this computer is excellent for the beginning to intermediate diver with its simple and easy to learn controls and modes, it also has the capability of serving someone that wants to step up to nitrox. Oxygen content can be programmed in one percent increments up to 50 percent.

Another advanced feature is automatic calculation of decompression stops. While TUSA advise against decompression diving, the display on this computer for just such a function is easy to understand.

Bar graphs to each side of the numerical displays help emphasize when a diver is beginning to “push the limits,” both in nitrogen uptake and oxygen exposure. A number of warnings, both visual and audio also work in the computer to keep the diver out of trouble including ascent rate (which is a very conservative 26 feet per minute), missed decompression stop, and out of range violations. A low battery indicator let you know when the battery needs replacing which can be done by the diver with just a coin (remember to upload any log information first if it needs to be retained).

With the Platina SCA-312 console, the IQ-600 dive computer sits in a compact and streamline housing that is easy to use. Below the computer a precision liquid filled compass is placed in at an excellent angle for monitoring the computer, air consumption and direction of travel all at the same time. The compass comes horizon, side view for better target orientation and running of numerical compass courses. Both the pressure gauge and compass utilize a Lumi-Nova® glowing face for extra-bright, long lasting visibility at night. The computer face also glows in the dark.

For more information, visit a TUSA dealer. California TUSA dealers are indicated in the Dive Store Directory section of this issue or call TUSA at 562-498-3708 or visit their web site at http://www.tusa.com.